Honey
by Imigo
Summary: Jou is forced to walk home in a storm and he falls ill. His friends fail to notice, but will a sharp pair of blue eyes? A part of ChibiSmiles' contest, enjoy!
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This is my most newest fanficcie. It is part of ChibiSmile's contest. It's my first yaoi, so sorry if it's bad. --; Please read and enjoy!!   
  
Warnings: This is yaoi. If you don't agree with that, please leave now. There may also be slight swearing. I'm sorry for any OOCness.  
  
Disclaimer: I dun own Yu-Gi-Oh!! Why don't you people leave us peaceful writers alone?  
  
Honey  
  
"I can't believe dis is happening ta me!" grumbled Jounouchi covering his head by throwing his arms over it,"I always have da worst luck!"  
  
The golden haired boy had just left the school and was on his way home when it had started to pour. The clouds were bunched together in a dark swirling mass of black. The trees swayed under the pressure of the wind, which was blowing fiercely in Jou's face.  
  
"I jus' wanna find some shelter!" he muttered,"Before I get hit by lightnin'."  
  
As if to confirm his fears, a lightning bolt struck a large tree directly in front of him.  
  
"Holy shit! I didn' mean dat!"he said as he swerved away from the charred, smoking stump,"I got no wish to be barbecued."  
  
Jounouchi started to walk considerably faster. It was still a block to the bus stop he needed to get to. He shivered and wrapped his arms around his body, hoping to warm himself slightly.  
  
'I jus had to pick da worst day of da year to forget my jacket,' he thought bitterly and envisioned his green jacket sitting in his locker at school,'At least it's warm...damnable thing.'  
  
Jou glared at the cold air, hoping to warm it with his fiery temper. A gust of wind came up and splattered his face with yet more water. The blond put his head down and squeezed his eyes shut. When he found himself sitting in a puddle, he figured it was no surprise he'd run into the pole for the bus stop. It was all this storm's fault and he wondered what he'd done to the clouds to hate him so.  
  
Jou got up from the puddle, completely soaked and went into the small shelter the bus stop offered.  
  
'Maybe it was that spider I killed earlier,'he thought and snickered. It was an old superstition that if you squished a spider it would rain, but what was he supposed to have done? Let Anzu keep shrieking at him to get it? Not likely.  
  
Jou shrugged and continued his watch for the 421 bus that would take him to the safety of his apartment. Suddenly a bus came into view and he hoped with all that was in him that it was his.  
  
The bus rounded the corner and stopped. Jou peered at the blurred numbers just to find that it said,'OUT OF SERVICE.'  
  
An old man appeared out of the doors and Jou rushed over.  
  
"What bus is this?"he asked, just to be sure.  
  
"Well it was the 421, but all the buses are shutting down for the rest of the day because of the storm,"the grey haired man replied before continuing on his way.  
  
Jou stared after him in shock until a loud crack of thunder startled him from his stupor.  
  
"Dis is jus' perfect!"Jou yelled in frustration,"Why does dis kinda stuff always happen ta me?!"  
  
He stood there for a few more moments, sulking silently, before striding on down the street.  
  
"I'll hafta walk..."he shivered again at the thought, but couldn't do anything about it.  
  
He couldn't phone his dad, cause he was going to be working till late. His friends couldn't help him either, by the sounds of it the roads were pretty bad. There was no other choice.  
  
Jou trudged through the pouring rain, sniffling slightly. He looked into a house's window and saw the warm glow of the light inside.  
  
'I bet dere nice an cozy,'Jou thought angrily.  
  
His gaze trailed to the house next door and his eyes widened slightly. It wasn't a house, more like mansion!The vast lawn stretched on for what seemed like a mile. The grand house itself was enormous and the colour of the storm. Grey and even, maybe, uninviting. As Jou passed he glanced at the golden sign on the gate.  
  
The teen's jaw dropped. It read,'Kaiba Mansion.'  
  
"What the?!"Jounouchi stuttered and stumbled backwards,"Dis is KAIBA'S place! It's freaking huge!"  
  
He gawked at it another couple seconds,'Maybe he'd let me come in...'  
  
He pondered for a moment then his face lit up,"Yeah! He can't be dat heartless, right?"  
  
Jou stepped up to the large iron gates and pushed them open.  
  
'I thought for sure it'd be locked!'Jou thought in surprise,'Oh well, better for me!'  
  
The brown eyed teen started to walk down the path. He looked down towards his feet and admired the walk way. It was made of some sorta rock that probably cost a fortune.  
  
'Stupid bastard. Can't have fricking normal sidewalk like everyone else,'he thought to himself,'He's a nice bastard though...'  
  
When he reached the front door he hesitated slightly. His hand rose from his side and stretched towards the door bell.  
  
He shuddered,"What the hell am I doin'?!"  
  
Jou stepped back out into the rain,"He hates me. Why would he wanna let me in his house...This was a stupid idea..."  
  
The blond teen turned back around and started back the way he came. It would be another 10 blocks to dryness...but it was what he was prepared to face.  
  
A teenage boy with chestnut brown hair emerged from his office. He'd just been working on a new prototype for his gaming company, KaibaCorp. He stretched his arms out and yawned.  
  
"Setooo!" A black haired blur flew into the teen's side, causing his footing to falter slightly.  
  
"Mokuba, you should be in bed by now,"Kaiba ruffled his brother's raven hair and a smile graced his face.  
  
"I know, but I was waiting for you to finish working,"replied the young boy.  
  
Kaiba regarded him sceptically,"Are you sure it wasn't because you were watching another one of your pointless cartoons?"  
  
"Heheh, course not...I, umm, yeah,"Mokuba tripped over his words and decided to just keep his mouth shut.  
  
Kaiba quirked an eyebrow but stayed silent.  
  
"Anyways, good night big brother!"Mokuba said and hugged Kaiba around the waist before running back down the long hallway.  
  
Kaiba looked after his younger brother and sighed before walking in the opposite direction. It was a school day tomorrow and he needed to get SOME sleep. He had actually finished relatively early tonight and was ready to take advantage of his extra time.  
  
He stopped in front of one door and knocked lightly.  
  
'What the hell am I knocking for?! This is my own god damn house,'Kaiba thought and threw open the heavy oak door that was blocking his path.  
  
"Ahh-"  
  
Kaiba heard the yell of pain from inside the room and rushed in. On the floor sat one of his guards.  
  
"Geez Kaiba! You don't just knock and then throw the door in someone's face!"the man yelled from his position on the floor.  
  
"Sorry Kiru, I just came to see if there were any disruptions today,"Kaiba said and offered his hand to red haired man, who really didn't look to be much older than himself.  
  
"I'll try to tell you once the spots clear from my vision,"Kiru said sarcastically, while Kaiba just rolled his eyes.  
  
Kiru recovered and moved over to a desk facing a wall full of t.v. screens. He pushed a button and they flickered to life.  
  
"There wasn't any real trouble today, just an odd sort of happening,"said the guard, his eyes roving over the many screens.  
  
"Oh?"said Kaiba,"And what would that be?"  
  
Kiru swiveled his chair to face the CEO,"Well a teenager came up to the house and just kinda stood there staring at the door, I thought he was going to ring the doorbell at one point, but then he just left."  
  
"What did he look like?"asked Kaiba curiously.  
  
"About this high,"Kiru indicated said boy's height with his hand,"Had blond hair and, well, he kinda resembled a-"  
  
"Dog,"Kaiba finished for him.  
  
Kiru looked surprised,"Yeah, how did you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess,"Kaiba replied.  
  
Kiru shrugged and turned his chair back around,"That's him there."  
  
The red head pointed to a certain t.v. Kaiba's blue eyes scanned the moniter in interest.  
  
He smirked,"Thanks Kiru, have a good night."  
  
And with that he stalked out of the room, his trench coat swishing behind him.  
  
Okay that's enough for now. I think there will be one or two more chapters, but it depends on what you guys want...If you don't like it I'll probably take it down.  
  
Please review and send me your thoughts and ideas. If you want me to put something in the story just tell me! 


	2. Golden Mornings

> > > > A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait guys! I really appreciate all your reviews, they're the thing that convinced me to continue   
  
I've been really busy with final exams coming, and there's been some chaos in my life (nothing tragic or anything). I know this chapter is so over due, so please enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has anything to do with Yu-Gi- Oh...well, except for those posters...oh, and that manga...and maybe some DVDs...You can stop me at any time you know.  
  
Review Response:  
  
chilogal: I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I don't think it's perfect, that's for sure.  
  
Kimori Sakusha formerly known as Saelbu: Whew! You have a long name to type! -.- Thanks! It's coming along, I just hope it's actually going somewhere --;  
  
Pocky: I LOVE your name! Pocky's really great stuff! Here's your chapter, hope you like!  
  
Nonymous: Thank you sooo so so much for putting me on your alert list! You're the first one! hands you a puppy Jou plushie Enjoy!  
  
SliverFalcon: Here you see more. I hope it's to your satisfaction! .  
  
Yami Sango: I'm sorry again for making you wait, thanks for your support!  
  
optimistic girl94: I absolutely LOVED your idea! I'll work it into the plot for sure! Thanks for your help, I was kinda stuck.  
  
Angel Reaper: Happy, happy! My story is interesting! Yay and many thanks!  
  
inulover28: I have continued, as you can clearly see...unless you're blind, but then why would you be reading?! Heh, unless you had a really weird braille computer or something...never mind -.-()  
  
ChibiSmiles: Thanks for the review! I appreciate it mundo much! I'm really sorry about your fic being taken down, it was so cool! I hope you like the rest of my story! By the way, how many people have entered the contest so far?  
  
Misura: Yes, Jou is a good boy and he shall be rewarded. I'm glad you like Jou's accent! .  
  
nova shadows: I thank you So much for continuing to check on the story! I used to do that with my fave stories too. I had like 100 or more to check every day...hehe, it was tiring work! And thanks for the luck, I'll need it!  
  
Koko: Thanks for the support, even if you don't like Yu-Gi-Oh... I guess...?  
  
mandapandabug: You're right. He doesn't look THAT much like a dog...but it worked into my story sooo, ya know   
  
I most definitely wouldn't have continued this if it wasn't for you all! THANK YOU! Hugs to all!
>>>> 
>>>> ---
>>>> 
>>>> Sunlight poured through the open window of a teen's messy room. It filtered onto a floor strewn with dirty clothes and a desk scattered with crumpled papers. A few feet away from the desk was a bed so piled up with blankets you barely even see the mop of blonde hair peeping out from underneath the covers.  
  
There was a peaceful aura about the room, and silence filled it's four corners. Such was not the case for Jou's pounding head.  
  
'Argh!' he thought wearily,'Whatsa a guy gotta do to get some sleep around here?!'  
  
Indeed, Jou had not gotten a wink of sleep that night due to a pounding head ache , and some infernal animal that kept running along the roof outside. He swore that one day that squirrel, or whatever it had been, would pay dearly for his lack of sleep.  
  
Jou rolled over for the millionth time since he'd crawled into bed, very wet and very tired, the evening before. No matter what, it seemed that he would be cursed with an uncomfortable position. He could have tried sleeping on the roof with the accursed creature and he probably wouldn't have been any better off.  
  
Just then Jou's alarm clock sounded, it's loud beeps seeming to bounce off the walls and come back for a second ear shattering trip. The loud noise only caused Jou to flinch in pain, and his head ache to worsen.  
  
With a heavy, pain filled arm, Jou reached over to his night stand and turned off the blasted thing. He read the red, glaring numbers that showed on the clocks face; 8:15 am.  
  
Jou groaned, "Why does school hafta be so damn early?! It's inhumane to make me get up when the sun's not even freakin' up!"  
  
He moved his aching body into a sitting position before swinging his sluggish legs over the edge of his bed.  
  
'Maybe I should stay home and rest today...'Jounouchi thought silently,'Nah, my grades are too low for me ta miss one minute, let alone a whole day!'  
  
With slow movements Jou made his way over to his door and flung it open. His leg was starting to fall asleep, causing him to limp and utter a pathetic "ow" every second step.  
  
Before the blond could even think of placing his foot on the first step of the staircase his toe caught the edge of the carpet, causing him to fall headfirst down the stairs.  
  
'Thwump! Thump! Crash!'  
  
He collided with the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Just when the poor teen thought he couldn't endure anymore abuse, the picture of himself and Shizuka fell from the wall and thwaped him on the head.  
  
Jou hissed through clenched teeth and squeezed his eyes closed. After a few moments of recuperating he pulled himself off the hard wood floor and stumbled off to take a nice, long shower.  
  
"How bad can one day get?!"Jou mumbled bitterly as he opened the bathroom door.  
  
Little did he know just how bad a day COULD, and most likely would, get.
>>>> 
>>>> ---
>>>> 
>>>> In another house, very far away...well, not THAT far away, but anyways. Another teen was just arising to greet a new day.  
  
The same sun that had bathed Jounouchi's room in morning light was now pouring through the chestnut haired teen's large, curtain framed window. Said teen was just getting up, without the need for an alarm clock seeing as he found them annoying and had promptly trained his subconscious to wake him up at 8:00.(A/N:Phsycho...--;)  
  
Glancing at the clock on the wall Kaiba realized it was really 7:17a.m.That was probably due to the extra sleep he'd gotten the night before. His body just wasn't used to getting to go to bed so early.  
  
Kaiba sighed and lifted from the bed. It was useless for him to try and get back to sleep, he knew that he would most likely end up laying there staring at the ceiling, or something equally as unproductive. Seto Kaiba was not an unproductive person, therefore he was indeed walking across his carpeted floor and heading towards his door.  
  
Once at the furnished door he reached out a lazy hand and twisted the brass door handle. Kaiba stretched himself out before continuing on his way down one of the many hallways of the Kaiba Mansion.  
  
He padded by a few doors, and stopped at one, peeking in briefly. Inside it was mass chaos, with clothes strewn all over and plushies lining the walls. Some of the many plushies were piled on the bed, where Mokuba was barely visible behind a big Blue Eyes. Kaiba sighed and shook his head slightly, closing the door behind him.  
  
He made his way down a staircase, another hall, through a lavishly furnished living room, and a dining room, before finally reaching his destination. As he entered the kitchen his foot got caught on the small step in the doorway. Kaiba stumbled into the light blue kitchen, coming face to face with a maid.  
  
The young woman gasped, "Mister Kaiba! Gosh, you gave me a start!"  
  
Kaiba recomposed himself, straitening out his navy blue house coat,"Sorry Lina, I'm still a little drowsy..."  
  
A strand of purple hair fell into Lina's eyes and she pushed it away while smirking,"Obviously."  
  
"No need to get sarcastic,"Kaiba stated, seating himself at the light, wooden table.  
  
"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" she said, winking.  
  
Kaiba just stared at the girl blankly. He really gave his workers too much freedom with him, actually they were all more like friends than servants. He only had a handful of people working for him, and somehow (he was convinced they had used a brainwashing technique) they had gained his respect and, he flinched, friendship...unfortunately. The lot of them were a bunch of sarcastic lunatics.  
  
"Why are you up so early anyways?"the blue eyed girl wondered,"I mean, you aren't exactly one to sleep in, but usually your late night work makes you sleep till at least 8:00."  
  
Kaiba rolled his eyes (he had a habit of doing that in the presence of his workers, as they were driving insane),"That's none of your business."  
  
"Ooooh, grumpy are we?"Lina asked...and received a cold glare in return,"Okay, okay, I'm going!"  
  
The girl walked over to the door and bowed extravagantly,"Good day Mister Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba threw a nearby apple at Lina and she quickly retreated through the doorway.  
  
'Note to self: Fire Lina when you get over this 'nice' phase,'Kaiba thought bitterly, picking up another apple and beginning to munch on it. It would seem that he would be getting a decent breakfast for once.  
  
For the organization skills the C.E.O. had, mornings were not his specialty. During that one time of the day he was rather...scatter brained. It was probably all the numbers and theories still bouncing around his mind from the previous day.  
  
The blue eyed teen finished up his 'nutritious breakfast' and left to get back to his room. At the rate this was going he'd never get a chance to get ready for school. He really needed to get some escalators...on second thought, elevators.
>>>> 
>>>> ---
>>>> 
>>>> Jou burst through the class room doors, panting heavily. When he'd gotten on the bus earlier that morning he hadn't expected traffic to be so god damn bad! The damage the storm had caused was tremendous, and Jou silently thanked whoever it was who liked him in heaven cause he was sure that he could have died yesterday...well, almost sure.  
  
When he was a few blocks from the school he had just gotten off and ran the rest of the way. Not the brightest thing he'd ever done, seeing as he was sure his head was about to explode. Among various things that were bothering him was the fact that he was sure someone could fry an egg on his forehead, that his legs were about to collapse, and his stomach was twisting in agony.  
  
Jou knew he was sick, very sick, but he chose to ignore that little fact and tried to walk as calmly as he could towards his desk.  
  
"Katsuya Jounouchi!"  
  
Great...That would be Ms.Biteyourheadoff, getting ready to...well, bite his head off.  
  
"How many times have you walked in PAST the bell this week?"asked Ms.Mink, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently,"How many times have you interrupted my class? AND how many times do i have to tell you to WAKE UP EARLIER!!"  
  
The screeching nearly broke every last part of the blond that was still sane.  
  
Jou stiffened at the laughs and jeering smiles surrounding him,"At least one more time."  
  
The teacher glared,"Very well, detention it is Mr.Jououchi."  
  
Jou glared back and took his seat next to Yugi. He sighed and shook some hair out of his face.  
  
"Hey Jou?"Yugi whispered, concern shining in his eyes,"You look kinda flushed, are you okay?"  
  
Jou blinked his chocolate brown eyes,"Yeah, I'm fine! I jus' had ta run here, dat's all."  
  
He grinned, a little TOO cheerily.  
  
Yugi cocked his head to the side,"Are you sure?"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm just peachy,"Jou said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
"Well...If you say so,"Yugi replied, turning his worried face back towards the board.  
  
Jou looked relieved and rested his elbows on the desk, placing his head in his hands. His head still throbbed, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. After all, he was the tough, street wise, guy who never showed his weakness.  
  
After a few moments Jou got a weird feeling, like someone was watching him. He glanced around the classroom, bored expressions and sleepy eyes were all fixed on the teacher...Except a pair of icy orbs. Kaiba's eyes were resting on Jounouchi, fixed in a curious gaze.  
  
'What the hell are you staring at?!'Jou thought and stuck out his tongue at Kaiba.  
  
The other teen merely watched him for a few more seconds, then focused his attention back on the teacher.  
  
'Stupid, rich, loser, bastard, sexy...Woah, woah, WOAH!'Jou shook his head,'Dis is where I use my super cool ability ta forget everything dat happened in da last 5 minutes...Wait, I don't have dat kinda ability! Damn!'  
  
Jou's mind continued to spin as the teacher droned on, and on, and (you guessed it) on.
>>>> 
>>>> ---
>>>> 
>>>> Well, hope you all very much liked that! Please leave a review, it helps me a lot when it comes to getting inspiration!


	3. Finally Faints

A/N: Wow! -tears well up in eyes- You guys have been super supportive! I'm so thankful for all of you! Reviews are really what keeps me goin sometimes. I was so stuck after the last chapter -groans- And I had such a bad case of writers block! I swear, every time I even came close to the computer I could practically SEE the writers block sitting there, looking at me as if to say 'AHAHA! Just try it.' --' Yeah, I know, I'm nutters .

So SORRY! I'll try to make this chappie as long as possible to make up for it! 

Disclaimer: -looks around and whistles innocently- I own a couch, a bed, some shoes, a pine cone(I found that outside ), and Yu-Gi-Oh...-sigh- FINE! I DON'T own Yu-Gi-Oh. The person who does, most likely, doesn't have a pine cone collection either -- 

Review Responses:

WolfBane2: Hehe, you shall see soon enough! Muahaha!...Yeh -coughs-

HikariChang: Yes he did indeed -grins evilly- And deep down inside, he knows it's true. 

YaoiCyberCat: Cool! -smiles- You reviewed my story! That was really nice of you!! You are such a great author, I could hardly believe it! Maybe I will write more of it some day. I've got another ficcie in the writing process.

novashadows: -cheers- WHOOT! You like it, you really like it! -wipes tear from eye- I'm glad that you're reading my story!

ChibiSmiles: -sweatdrop- Aheheh...The deadline was a month ago. That's when I was supposed to be done this story. I am so sorry! I guess I'll have to with draw from the contest, but I also want to thank you for getting me started on this! -goes off into corner- I'll have to live with being a lazy, late, loser TT

Flame Swordswoman: Don't worry! I won't discontinue this. I may be late, but I'm not a quitter -grins brightly- Sorry for the late update, and thanks for the review! It made me really happy.

Misura: Yeah, he's not a total bastard with no friends! But I don't think they'll come in handy any time soon, they're more of a pain for Kaiba, lol...but he knows he loves them You're right, Joey should have stayed home, but considering his personality, he just doesn't seem like someone who would just give in cause of a headache -ponders- I guess that's just me ' Thanks so much for the review! I totally admire you!

SilverFalcon: You're a person of few words, I understand that -nod nod- Thanks so much! That's really great to hear 

Angel Reaper: Very soon indeed! Although, I don't think Seto is one to 'drag', and considering it's Jou who he's 'dragging'...I would say he'd more along the lines of tie Jou to the top of his car and drive the few meters to the nurse's office, lol. But I think that gives me an idea!

Joey Baby: Thank you! I appreciate the positive comments!

mandapandabug: You have got to be one of my fave reviewers I like the smiley today too! -grins stupidly-

optimistic girl94: I'm so happy that you like it! Thanks for the constant support!! -hands optimistic girl a cookie- You keep me optimistic to say the least .

Kumori Sakusha formerly Saelbu: Here's your update! I do hope this story is to your satisfaction, and I'm hoping that it will keep going for as long as possible.

Inulover28: Yes -nods- I think I shall invent the braille computer! For the blind everywhere! -raises fist into the air- YEAH! -coughs- Don't worry! I won't ever discontinue the story! I'm just slow...

JReverie: THANK YOU!! You really made me get going. I appreciate your support mundo much. I'll be sure to check out your story as soon as humanly possible -winks-

Well, that takes care of that! -hands all the reviewers candles with Jou/Kaiba charm bracelets inside- Kaiba might seem a little -coughs- OOC in this chapter, sorry for any inconveniences this causes. Enjoy the chappie!...OR ELSE! Muahaa! 

-------Lunch Room-------

Jou managed to at least LOOK at his food, before it made him sick to his stomach. The blond pushed is plate of pizza away from him, and sighed.

The rest of the people at the table did a double take. Katsuya Jounouchi, Not. Eating.His.Food?!! What the hell was going on here?

Honda decided to find out."Hey man, what's wrong with the pizza?" 

"Yeah, we know it's not gourmet,but what at this cafeteria is anything but edible?"Otogi added, glancing in Jounouchi's direction.

Jou looked up from the table and tried to think of a smart answer,"Uh, it's...too cheesy looking...?"

'Yeah, great Jou,' the brown eyed teen thought to himself,'Your cheese pizza is too cheesy lookin.' 

Yugi laughed uncertainly,"Good one Jou. What's the real reason?"

"You know what? I suddenly feel like goin for a walk! Weird huh? Well, see ya guys!" Jou said, grinning as he pushed his chair aside and left the others looking thoroughly confused.

"What was that all about?"Anzu asked, watching as Jounouchi pushed open the doors that lead to the field behind the school.

"We might never know," Otogi said, starting to munch on his sandwich.

-------Outside, BasketBall Court--------

'Argh! Will this head ache never end?!' Jou complained to himself. If possible, the pounding in his head had worsened by twice as much than earlier that morning. His fever hadn't gone down either.

Jou took the basket ball from a bin at the other side of the court and tried to throw it through the hoop. It got half way there before falling to the ground with a dull thud. 

'Yeesh! I can't even throw a friggin ball!'Jounouchi thought in surprise,'Dis cold must be worse than I thought!' 

Jou retrieved the basket ball and continued to attempt to dribble it and play a little one on one with himself. He enjoyed the time away from all the concerned looks, and inquisitive stares...Although he was almost sure he would regret this later. 

Oblivious bliss.

-------Behind a tree, 10 feet away from basket ball court--------

Seto Kaiba, being the social butterfly that he is, was eating outside away from the all the unwanted attention. That attention being of the 'fan girl' variety. Seto gave an involuntary shudder, oh the horror. He could almost hear their high pitched squeals, all their 'he's so cute', and 'I'm gonna faint' kind of remarks. It was all very cruel and inhuman.

He took out his laptop and proceeded to check over some of the work files on his floppy disk. Some of his subordinates had been working on a project for him, they were new, and it was obvious.

Seto sighed in aggravation at his inferiors lack of attention to detail, and at the constant sound of an object hitting the pavement repeatedly. After trying to unsuccessfully to ignore it for another few minutes, he decided to yell at the idiot who was creating the distraction.

That was when it happened.

--------Back to the court--------- 

Jou was just about to take another shot at the basket, when a sudden wave of dizziness swept over him, causing him to drop the ball and fall to his knees. His stomach started to feel extremely nauseous and he clutched it desperately.

Jou groaned in pain, and watched as his world spun and his stomach gave a lurch that was highly unpleasant. Just as he felt that he was going to be sick, he collapsed and his vision was obscured by darkness.

---------Seto's tree-----------

The blue eyed teen watched as Jounouchi hit the cement. He sighed, closed his laptop and stood up abruptly. As calm as ever he passed through a hedge and made his way towards the blond.

'Damn mutt!' he thought angrily,'I knew he looked worse than usual.'

Seto reached the unconscious form that was Jounouchi, and leaned over him casually. After a few moments he assessed that the mutt was still breathing at least. That was something to work with.

Next the chestnut haired teen looked around the area, scanning for potential victims to dump the blond upon. No such luck.

"Great. That's nice, really, really nice of you mutt,"Seto said, glaring at the afore mentioned boy,"Now I suppose I'll be spending my precious afternoon bringing your sorry arse to the emergency room."

No response.

"Right then, can you move?" Seto rolled his eyes and spoke in a high, mock voice,"No Kaiba, why don't you drag me to your car?"

Seto moved to grab Jou's arms,"Okay."

And with that Seto Kaiba dragged Katsuya Jounouchi unceremoniously to his black porsche.

----------4th Period, Math----------

"Has anyone seen Jou since lunch?" Yugi asked, a slight hint of worry woven into his words.

The whole group shook their heads, with a few 'nope' and 'nuh uhs' thrown in.

"Well actually..."Ryou spoke up in a quiet voice.

"What is it Ry?" Honda prodded.

"I know this sounds weird...And, I don't quite believe it myself...But," Ryou gulped and looked around at the curious faces,"I could have sworn I seen him in Kaiba's car as they drove past me!" 

Everyone looked stunned for a few seconds, until they burst out laughing. Honda fell off his chair, and Otogi was holding his stomach as he laughed hysterically.

Anzu wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and said in between giggles,"That impossible! He wouldn't be caught dead with Kaiba!"

"Exactly," Yugi said, turning serious at once.

"Huh?" said Honda, a confused expression on his face.

"Haven't you noticed? Jou's been acting really strange today!" Yugi announced, with a frown on his face and a deep worry in his amethyst eyes,"Maybe something happened!"

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions, I mean, why would Kaiba help him anyways? They hate each other," Otogi stated dully.

"...I guess you have a point. But then, explain Jou's absence," the tri colour haired teen said. 

"Besides," Anzu waved her hand in a dismissing motion,"He's always late for math."

---------Hospital Parking Lot------------

Seto parked swiftly and glanced at his passenger. Jou looked very warm, his face was flushed and sweat was collecting on his forehead. Every now and then during the ride he had uttered a low groan. Seto assumed he was in pain, duh, that much was obvious.

Jou coughed harshly, it racked his body and caused him to start shaking violently.

'It's getting worse...' Seto cursed the teen for his stupidity,'Why the hell did he come to school?!'

The blue eyed teen stepped out of the driver's side and walked quickly over to the other side of the car. He opened the door and Jou, who had been leaning on it, fell out into Seto's arms.

"Fine! I was planning on dragging you in, but if you insist,"Seto drawled,"Probably best for me anyway...I don't want to look like an abusive boyfriend or someth-" 

Seto shook his head furiously,'Boyfriend?!'

He coughed nearly as badly as Jou had,'I'm gonna forget that I ever said that, whether it was intentional or not.'

Seto nodded, satisfied with that solution, and was only brought back to reality by Jounouchi's bout of coughing. He remembered why he was here in the first place and why he had the blond mutt in his arms.

He shut the car door and locked it. Then he half jogged, half ran to the entrance of the hospital and burst through the doors. He was subconsciously glad that the waiting room was fairly empty.

A nurse that was a few feet away noticed them immediately, and rushed over.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked keeping her cool, and calling over a stretcher.

"I wouldn't be here if I knew," Seto said coldly," All I know is that he looks like death on a stick, okay?! Now get him some help!"

"It would be helpful if you calmed down," the redheaded nurse said, glaring daggers.

Seto glared back and snapped,"What's taking so long?"

In reality it had only been a matter of seconds, but none the less two men came over carrying a blue stretcher. They moved to take Jounouchi from Seto, and unknowingly the brown haired teen gave Jou a reassuring squeeze before dropping him onto the stretcher.

"Be careful!" one of the men scolded, and Seto merely scowled at him.

They carried him through a pair of double doors, and Seto watched as they swung shut, cutting Jou from his view.

The redhead from before turned and addressed Seto,"Are you his friend?"

"Uhh, no," Seto said, not really paying her any attention.

"Okay, are you his brother?"

Seto stopped as he was about to walk away,"Nope."

"Cousin?"

He shook his head. 

"Any type of family member?" the nurse's blue eyes were beginning to narrow with impatience.

"I should hope not," Seto replied off handedly.

"A random guy off the street?" 

The blue eyed teen looked indignant but said,"No." 

"Okay...lover?" she asked curiously.

Seto fumbled over his words, and a slight blush spread over his face,"NO WAY! Are you completely insane!"

She winced,"Okay, I get it! Geez! What the hell are you then?!"

Seto looked at her in a very nasty way,"I'm a figment of your imagination."

"Ugh! I hate my job!!" she stomped off to what Seto assumed was her desk and plopped down into her chair with a big sigh.

'I'm going to need something to amuse myself with while I wait...' he thought innocently.

He looked at her and smirked as her eye twitched. Then he proceeded to sit in a cushioned chair that was right infront of her. Seto glanced at her, smiled, and began to tap his foot.

She looked at him. He looked at her.

"Could you please stop that?" she asked in an aggravated tone.

Seto stretched in his chair,"I'm only a dilusion...Make me stop." 

She huffed, this was gonna be a loooooong day. 

-----------School, end of the day------------

"NOW do you guys believe me?" Ryou asked and puffed out his chest.

The whole group was walking down the hall, laden with binders from their last class of the day.

Honda glanced at him and groaned,"You're not gonna let us live this down, are you?" 

"Nope," Ryou answered shortly.

Anzu sighed,"So maybe there was a slight truth to what you said..."

Yugi blinked,"But that means...There could be something seriously wrong with Jou!"

"I'd have to agree with Yugi on this one,"Otogi added," If Kaiba decided to help him, he must have been in serious trouble."

"That's comforting," Honda snorted.

They stopped as they reached their lockers, and each of them threw, dumped, or neatly placed their school things inside. 

Yugi turned to look at them with pleading eyes,"We have to do something guys!"

"Agreed," muttered Anzu,"But what can we do?"

"Yeah, for all we know that heartless bastard is actually hurting Jou!" Honda growled.

"Calm down," Otogi said and raised his hand to point down the hall," We should go to the office and see if anyone had reported anything. I'm sure Jou's absence didn't go unnoticed."

"Good idea man!" Honda yelled,"Now we'll know what horrible things Kaiba's managed to do while we weren't looking!"

"HONDA!" Anzu snapped, motioning to Yugi's panicked face,"Not helping!" 

"Oooooh,"Honda put his hand behind his head,"Umm, sorry...?"

With that, they slung their back packs over their shoulders, and headed for the main office.

---------Hospital Lobby-----------

Seto's quest to annoy the young nurse had graduated from tapping his foot, to drumming his fingers on her desk, to making faces at her when no one else was looking. He was grinning maliciously, and was sure he'd gained an enemy by now. At this thought he cackled evilly until the people in the waiting area began looking at him oddly.

He glanced around, and when the other nurse in the room turned her back to him, he stuck out his tongue at the nurse who sat at the desk.

"Could you please stop doing that?! For god's sake there's only so much I can take!" she cried out in agony.

"Stop what?" the brunette asked casually.

She threw her hands into the air,"Oh let's see...MAKING MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!"

Seto gasped dramatically,"Whatever do you mean?!"

She drew in a sharp breath,"I mean, making faces and the like of it!"

If this wasn't a hospital, and if she wasn't a nurse, he would SO be dead by now.

"Are you accusing Seto Kaiba of annoying someone? And by making faces no less! That's preposterous," He said calmly and leaned back in his chair.

The nurse looked skeptical,"Seto Kaiba? Yeah, and I'm the queen of England." 

Seto took out his wallet and flipped out his I.D.

The girl's eyes widened,"Well, that's a new development." 

"Indeed," he answered simply,"What's your name anyway?"

"Why would YOU want to know?" she inquired suspiciously.

Seto's shoulders lifted into a shrug,"I suppose you'd like me to call you Red?"

The girl lifted her hand to touch her hair and huffed,"No! My name is Kin Rioko, happy?"

"Very," he smirked widely,"Now..."

He trailed off and glanced around the room. There was a boy with black hair and green eyes in the corner playing with blocks.

"Perfect," he raised from his place in front of the desk, and Kin could hardly believe her good luck. He was leaving!

She watched curiously as he approached the boy. Seto handed him what strongly resembled money while explaining something then pointed straight at her! The boy nodded happily and smiled broadly.

He wandered over to her desk and grinned up at her shyly,"Tat nice guy over tere says it wour Birfday!"

With that he burst into song,"Happy Birfday to wou! Happy Birfday to wou! Happy Birfday deaw Kiiiin..." 

By the twentieth time he repeated the song, Kin had had quite enough Birthday songs to last her a life time, thank you very much! 

"Umm, you've been really sweet..." Kin said, and the little boy stopped halfway into the verse,"But I think I'm going to send you on your way now, okay?"

The little boy looked at her tearfully through large emerald eyes,"Wou don't wike meeee!"

He started to wail, big tear drops rolling down his cheeks. Just then a woman emerged from the change rooms, and Kin recognized her as her boss. The woman looked up and seen the child crying, with that she rushed over.

"Lei! What's wrong honey, why are you crying?" the woman crouched beside the small boy and dried away his tears.

"T-tat wady was mean to me!" he sniffed.

The black haired woman glared up at Kin and spoke harshly,"Ms.Rioko, you had better have come up with a good explanation for this by tomorrow morning, or else you will face the consequences!"

Kin spluttered indignantly and tried to explain,"B-but Kaiba, and the song was soooo annoying, and, and-" 

"Rioko! I should hope you have something better than that by tomorrow," the woman said,"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make dinner for my husband and my SON!"

Kin watched helplessly as her boss walked away holding the boy's hand.

"That was interesting,"came a voice to her left.

Kin looked at Seto's smug face,"YOU! Oh god, why do you hate me so?!"

Seto shook his head,"God doesn't hate people...He just dislikes them greatly."

Kin was about to pummel him, when a doctor stepped through the double doors Jou had left through earlier. She straightened herself and wiped the threatening expression from her face.

Kaiba leaned on the wall and folded his arms over his chest as the doctor approached.

"Hello Ms.Rioko, lovely day isn't it?" he said smiling and leafing through his clip board. 

"Uh huh, you could say that," Kin replied bitterly.

The doctor looked at her questioningly before continuing,"Was there anyone who came in with a Mr.Katsuya Jounouchi?"

"No one of great importance," she responded as Seto looked at her spitefully.

The doctor nodded and sighed in relief,"Oh good! Because if someone had, they really didn't have to wait all this time, the patient should be fine."

"WHAT?!" Kin exploded and pulled at her hair."You've got to be kidding me!" 

"Uh, no?" said the doctor in a very confused tone,"He has a bad case of pneumonia, but he'll recover with the proper care..."

He trailed off and tried to shuffle away from the very pissed off Kin, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt,"Seto said with the politest voice he could muster,"I came in with Jounouchi, I must have been so quiet while waiting for news that this nurse didn't even notice me sitting there. Can you tell me what condition he's in?"

"Right, of course," replied the man, glancing at Kin who went from looking dumbstruck to going off and sulking in a corner,"As I earlier stated the patient has pneumonia. It's nothing good rest and careful care can't cure within a week. He also showed signs of extreme over exertion, he obviously didn't take note of his weak state and pushed himself to the very limit."

As the doctor concluded his assessment, Seto merely shook his head,'Figures. The idiot.'

The man leafed through his papers again,"Now there's still the matter of payment, and the release date."

"In the long run this was probably my fault,"Seto sighed and remembered the footage of Jou coming to his door the day before.

The doctor quirked his eyebrow at this,"I highly doubt that, it's very hard to intentionally make someone sick. Don't beat yourself up about it."

The brunette snorted,"Anyway, I'll be taking any of the expenses. Is he awake?"

Seto was sure , judging from past experience, that Jounouchi's family didn't have enough money to take on the consequences of treatment and a stay at the hospital.

The doctor nodded his approval,"Alright, I'll have a nurse take care of the documents and legal papers. To answer your question, he should be awake anytime now. His room is on the second floor, third door to your left."

"Thanks." Seto stalked off down the hall and rounded a corner. Kin cheered as he left her field of vision.

---------High School's Main Office, Grade 12 Division-----------

"THE HOSPITAL!" Honda's yell echoed around the room.

Anzu elbowed Honda in the ribs,"Shh! Do you wanna get us kicked out?!"

The secretary coughed,"Yes, well. He was admitted at 12:54 this afternoon, unfortunately our records didn't require any more information than that, so I can't tell you as to why Mr.Jounouchi is there."

Yugi nodded his head, his hair bouncing,"Thank you so much. I presume he's at the Domino Hospital? That is the main one."

The woman skimmed through a paper and shook her head,"No, he's currently at the Blue Silver Hospital, I can give you the address if you want."

"Sure...weird name huh?" Otogi commented as he wrote down the address on a scrap piece of paper from his bag.

"I've heard of that hospital, I think it's run by some company off of charity funds," Anzu said offhandedly.

"Well guys. Let's go help out Jou!" Yugi yelled, practically running out the door, Honda right on his heels. 

The other two started to jog in order to catch up, bowing to the secretary as they passed through the door.

----------Silver Cross, Second Floor Hallway------------

Seto stopped short in front of room 201,'So, the mutt's staying here...Thanks to me, and my vast amounts of money...Fair enough.'

The chestnut haired teen knocked on the door gingerly, awaiting a response. None came. So he opted the second choice, simply barging in.

Once inside he took in the bland white washed walls, bare tile floors, the small bedside table...and the hospital bed where Jounouchi lay, chest rising and falling with every strained breath. He appeared to be the same, other than the slightly pale look to his face.

"Mutt,"Seto acknowledged the presence with a slight nod of his head, and in a few short strides reached the only chair in the room, which was directly infront of the bed.

"I refuse to pity you, you know. It's your own fault, you damn mutt,"Seto said, as he sighed and leaned his elbows on the arms of the chair.

Seto thought Jounouchi's eyelids lifted to reveal soft brown eyes, but only a moment later he seemed to be quite unconscious.

"I should just leave you here, to starve...or whatever," Seto shifted slightly, he was missing the company of the easily infuriated nurse. If only Jounouchi were awake to come up with a cutting comeback.

"Glad you care Kaiba..."A slightly raspy voice said from beside him.

Seto jumped and he looked around wildly, his gaze landing on the occupant of the bed.

The blue eyed teen snorted,"Hardly." 

Jounouchi tried to sit up in his bed and take in his surroundings, but found himself short of breath. If there was one thing he didn't think would happen today, it was waking up in a strange place with Kaiba beside him. He'd have to scratch that off of his list of things that only happened in nightmares.

"What da hell are you doin here anyway?" Jou said suspiciously as he turned and propped up his pillows so that he could lean back on them. 

Seto nearly reached over to help Jou, before he stopped himself, metally scolding the would be kind jesture,"Well you DID collapse. The last time I checked it was good to bring an incapacitated person to the hospital."

Jou looked dumfounded and mimicked Honda's earlier outburst,"The HOSPITAL?!" 

Seto sighed,"Yes Jounouchi, the hospital. Could you try to follow? The rest of the class is on page five."

Jou glared,"Lemme get dis straight...YOU brought me here?"

Seto rolled his cerulean eyes,"Yes."

"Without killing me on the way?"

"Considering you seem quite alive, yes." 

Jou blinked,"Who are ya and what did you do wit Kaiba?"   
"Very funny mutt, would you rather I'd left you to die," Seto asked in a bland tone," I could of done that very easily in fact."

"I'm sure,"Jou looked around the small room,"Why am I her-...Oh ya! This is all that damn squirrel's fault...somehow."

"I'll choose to ignore that comment, and you are here because you are an idiot," Seto said matter of factly.

"Moron," Jou muttered," Doesn't understand the torture ways of the squirrel..."

Seto raised an eyebrow, but after a moment, realized that Jounouchi was not about to elaborate,"Right then. I'm quite sure that, in the real world, pneumonia is caused by wandering in the rain and over exertion, and not by 'squirrels'."

"Uh huh, sur- Wait, pneumonia?!" The blond did a double take and glanced down at himself as if expecting to see himself crumbling.

Seto looked like he were trying to explain algebra to a 3 year old,"Pneumonia. As in an acute disease marked by the inflammation of the lungs and caused by viruses, bacteria-"

"Okay, okay, I was jus' surprised! You don't need ta bombard me wit da details," Jou sniffed indignantly.

"Sorry, just thought you'd like to know information on the sickness that's about to kill you," Kaiba said non chalently.

"K-KILL?! Pneumonia doesn't kill people!" Jou huffed and looked at the wall," I'm almost...99 percent sure!"

Seto nearly grinned, but settled for a smirk,"Then I'd have to tell you that you're wrong. Alot of people have died from pneumonia."

"Y-ya can't be serious!" Jou spluttered with a shocked look on his face. He was obliged to believe Kaiba, as he was obviously better informed.

"It's true. There were thousands of deaths...about a hundred years ago," Seto snickered, he really should lay off the teasing...ah well.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Jou turned his dismayed expression into an angry one.

"Well, what do you expect. They weren't advanced enough to have created a cure yet," Seto mocked.

"Urgh! You are an insufferable git, I hope you know," Jou said as he relaxed into his pillow once more.

"As I'm told about one hundred times a day by my workers, yes, I am quite aware," Seto replied, his fingers steepled infront of him.

"You know that you can leave at any time now," the blond said, studying the C.E.O. before him.

Seto shook his head,"Not quite, I still need to sort out the paper work for your expenses."

Jou mulled over that for a few seconds,"Wait...What expenses?"

"The ones that come with one's treatment and stay at a hospital," Seto declared calmly.

"No way! My dad can't afford dat kinda thing!" Jou shouted, a coughing bout ensuing.

Seto glanced at the brown eyed teen, a hint of concern in his own blue orbs,"Don't worry about mutt, it's taken care of."

Jou blinked cutely,"Taken...care of...?"

"That's what I just said."

"But how? Insurance?" Jou pondered,"I don't think I have any."

"Indeed," Seto responded,"I have you covered."

Jou looked awe struck,"I don't need your help Kaiba! Keep your damn money."

Seto gave Jou a stern look,"You said yourself that you can't afford it, and don't worry, I'm not spending a penny on you."

"And how's dat exactly?" Jounouchi narrowed his eyes.

"I happen to provide the funding for this hospital, I think that they'll do me this small favor," Seto replied sedately.

"Huh?" Jou said quite intelligently.

"The Silver Cross Hospital belongs to me."

---------------------End Chapter 

What do you guys have to say? Ya, ya...I know it's not as great as usual, but I had alot of trouble doing the whole hospital scene, and the collapsing and the generally ansgtyness of it all --;

I also realize that Kaiba is very abnormal. I have the right as a creative writer to alter certain things, but he is very different than usual. If you have a problem with anything PLEASE tell me!

I'd really appreciate any comments you all have! Thanks for supporting me so far, I'm really grateful for you all. 

Reviews Inspiration CHAPTER!!


	4. Taking Care of Business

A/N: All right. I suppose that I have to get this over with. My sincerest aplogies for having discontinued this story. I know how frustrating and disappointing that can be. But I'll have you all know that I have every intention of finishing it...even if it is years later. I was sifting through some old things the other day, and came across this little piece, fell in love with it all over again, and am now determined to put an end to it, haha. So enjoy, those of you still around to enjoy it.

Chapter 4: Taking Care of Buisiness

There was silence in the decidedly too white room.

Jou looked at Kaiba in a confused manner for about a second before he burst out laughing,"You?! Givin money to a HOSPITAL? Hahah! Ya sure, maybe in a million years."

Seto glanced at Jounouchi before raising his chin in defiance,"How could I forget? Because I'm just a heartless bastard, right? Wouldn't know kindness if it ran him over with a bus."

Jou, coughing for a moment after his brief laughing fit, gazed at Kaiba curiously with his warm honey eyes,"You're serious?"

Seto glared at him,"No, I just said all that for absolutely no reason, none whatsoever."

"Huh...Never woulda guessed it,"Jou said, ignoring Kaiba's obvious sarcasm.

"Glad to see the faith you people have in me," Seto replied,"It's not as if I've volunteered at the soup kitchen or anything."

"Now DAT would give me a heart attack," Jou grinned easily at Kaiba before realizing who he was and slapping on a scowl,"Where's da doctor anyway? I need to ask him when I can leave dis place...It's too...clean."

Seto raised his eyebrow in an amused fasion,"Ah yes, you've probably never even known what 'clean' looks like. The way you walk around with that mop of messy hair and wrinkled clothing...It must be such a shock!"

"Hardy, har, har Kaiba. I'm so amused," Jou squirmed on the uncomfortable bed, wondering why it was so hard if people had to stay here for such long amounts of time.

Seto watched as a bird flew by the window and looked at the bright blue sky outside,"Hey mutt?"

Jou had an indignant expression on his face at this disgraceful name but responded none the less,"What do you want?"

Seto swallowed his pride for a brief moment and asked a question that was bothering him,"Why the hell did you come to school anyway? You look like crap. I mean, why the hell would you even bother dragging your sorry ass out bed?"

"You have real people skills, did you know?"Jou replied bitterly, but he sighed and closed his eyes,"To be honest, I dunno...I guess I thought I would be okay...eventually."

"Just as I thought, you were being an idiot as usual," Seto said, a frown marring his features.

"Gee, don't act so concerned ya jerk!"Jounouchi snapped and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not the one who's sick because of his stupidity," Seto replied casually.

Jounouchi harrumphed and started to sulk when there was a sudden knock on the wooden door. The doctor who was attending to Jounouchi's care stepped in with a reluctant and scowling nurse following behind him. The doctor looked at Jou and grinned.

"You're awake! Brilliant, that means we can discuss some issues," he said pulling a chair from a corner of the room.

"Oh great, issues. Just what I needed," Jou sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples, he glanced at the nurse who seemed to be glaring in Kaiba's general direction and was hiding behind the doctor's back.

She spoke up suddenly,"I think with the amount of time that poor boy has been in the same room with Kaiba over there he's probably got an armful of issues to deal with already."

Seto's piercing blue eyes rested on her face and he shot daggers at her with his gaze,"And I suppose you would know?"

"Yes," she said, nodding her head fervertly,"I would."

"Ooo, lemme guess,"Jou cut in smiling at the nurse,"You had to deal with Mr.Sunshine didn't cha?"

"Hell yeah,"Kin replied and returned Jounouchi's sypathetic smile,"I only feel sorry that you know that ass!"

"I'm right here, hello!" Seto yelled, gritting his teeth,"If you must insult me, do it else where!"

Kin and Jou stuck out their tongues at him at the exact same time, causing another shared grin.

"I think we'll get along just fine," Jou exclaimed in a happy tone, glad to spread his hate of

the loathesome creature who was sitting beside him.

' He's an adorable loathesome creature though...' a little voice in the back of the blond's head said.

'Gah!' Jou mentally slapped himslef and said out loud,"Nooo."

Everyone in the room looked at him curiously before dismissing it as the fault of his high fever. The doctor, who had been watching the exchange between the three with mild amusement, cleared his throat.

"Down to buisness then," He flipped through his papers and looked into Jounouchi's eyes,"Mr.Jounouchi, I have no idea what you did to get yourself in such a state of health, but the fact remains that you have a severe case of pneumonia. Do you know the effects of this sickness?"

"To some degree, yeah, no thanks to him," the brown eyed teen said, jerking his thumb at Kaiba.

The doctor nodded and continued,"Well I have no problem with releasing you today with some medications...My only concern is that your delicate condition needs to be watched over for the next few days, possibly up to a week, who are you currently residing with?"

"My dad, everythin should be fin-" Jounouchi cut himself off and looked stricken,"Oh crap! He's gone on a buisness trip, he won't be home for another two weeks! What the hell do I do now?!"

"Where's your mother?" the doctor asked, exploring all possiblities,"Surely you could stay at her house, presuming that your parents are divorced."

Jounouchi groaned,"She lives no where even close ta Domino City!"

Kin had a thoughtful expression on her face,"Do you have a friend you could stay with? We don't normally allow it, but in your case it could be deemed acceptable to put you in the care of someone close."

Jounouchi quickly went over all his options,'Anzu; nah her parents would kill her if a guy was stayin with her at their house...Yugi? He said somethin about renovations to Gramp's shop so dat's outta da question. Honda's livin in dat apartment, way too cramped...Uhh, dice boy would kill me! I'm so skrewed!'

"Oh come on! One of your lame brain friends must be able to let you live with them for a week, even if you are just a flea bitten mutt," Seto said in aggavation as Jou's expression became frantic.

"None of them can...There's all these freakin complications, beleive me," Jou sighed in frustration,"What am I gonna do?"

"There's absolutely NO ONE?"Kin asked and directed her gaze at the chestnut haired teen sitting sprawled out in his chair.

Everyone looked to Kaiba who sat bolt upright,"Oh no you don't!"

"There's NO WAY in hell I'm goin with him! We got a bad history," the blond managed to splutter.

"According to what I've heard Seto Kaiba should be a very reliable young man, I see no reason why he shouldn't be a suitable host for you seeing as you two obviously know each other," the doctor reasoned peering critically at the two young men infront of him.

"No, no, no! You don't understand; I HATE him!" Jounouchi spat with a slight hint of desperation in his scratchy voice.

"Likewise dog breath," Seto snapped and shook his brown hair from his eyes,"There's no way I'm letting him into my home."

"Like I'd want to go!" the brown eyed teen retorted and stuck out his tongue.

"Boys! Please at least try to cooperate?" the man in the white coat said, running a hand through his greying hair,"If you have any other clever suggestions I'd gladly hear you out."

Seto and Jou looked at each other, then promtly turned their heads in the opposite direction. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a stainless steal knife. Both teens kept up their stubborn appearances while warring within themsleves and weighing out all possible escape routes. Coming up with none that didn't include jumping out the window they both sighed in resignation.

"...How long did you say it was for?" Seto said in a pained voice.

"A week," the corner of Kin's mouth twitched upwards,"Think you can handle it Mr.Jounouchi?"

"Of course not, I just don't have much of a damn choice," Jou huffed and nodded at Kaiba,"So is this how it's gonna be?"

Seto's cerulean eyes narrowed and flashed eerily but he gave in,"Fine...But don't think I'm going to go out of my way for you just because you have a stupid cold."

Kin coughed and looked at the ceiling innocently,"Actually, Jounouchi will need very special care and an eye on him at all times."

Jounouchi gasped and pointed at her,"Traitor! I'd rather he stay as far away as possible."

'Oh would you now?' the return of the voice.

'Shut it,' Jou growled mentally at the intruding fiend.

'Meh, you know it's true...'

"Umm, hello? Anybody in there?" Kin was waving a hand in front of Jounouchi's face and he snapped out of his little mental conversation with himself.

"Uh, eheh. Sorry," the blond blushed and Kin and Kaiba simultaneously rolled their eyes,"What are we talkin about again?"

The doctor turned in his chair to face his patient,"Just debating on your transportation. Mr.Kaiba here seems to think he can use our ambulences as a taxi service seeing as he wants our workers to 'deliver' you to his residence." He was amused, despite the way he covered it up with a dipleased look.

"Well, I'm sure I could pay them to do that simple task for me," Seto said, slightly irritated at the incompetence of the world.

Kin snorted in disbelief,"You act as if they don't have anything better to do with their time."

"Kaiba thinks the world revolves around his big, fat, head. Ignore him, that's what I always do," Jou said, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile.

Kaiba sneered at them,"Damnit! Okay, he can ride back in my car. You owe me BIG TIME mutt."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll make it up to you oh mighty lord of blockheads," Jou replied dismissively.

"Great! Now that that's settled I'll have your prescripition filled down at the desk and you can gather it on your way out. I'll have Ms.Rioko give you explicit directions on proper care and the treatment of your illness," with that he got up, shook Seto and Jounouchi's hands, and left, the door clicking shut behind him.

"He sure did seem to be in some kinda hurry," Jounouchi commented off handedly.

"Probably wanted to get away from your ugly mug," Seto said in bored tone,"Can we get out of here any time TODAY? Unlike some people in this room, I happen to have a life."

"Yeah sure ya have a life Kaiba! Once ya take it outta the closet and dust it off a bit," Jou replied sarcastically, he shivered and shifted the covers so that they covered his shoulders,"But I gotta agree, I kinda wanna get out of this place as soon as I can too."

Kin pushed from her position of leaning against the white wall,"Okay then, listen up. Jounouchi, I want you to stay in bed as much as possible, Kaiba you make sure he does. You have to take your medicine, a definate must to your recovery. I recommend eating soup for a couple days and then moving on to solids gradually, fruit is usually okay. Make sure to receive lots of rest, keep warm, and try not to over exert yourself, as it might result in a higher fever than you already have."

Jounouchi cocked his head to the side,"Uhm, sure...Did ya get all that prince of the ice age?"

Seto gave a slight nod,"Mokuba had pneumonia when he was young. I should be able to instruct my workers on your care."

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute!! You can't just leave him with some unreliable house maid!" Kin said in an authorative tone and looked at Kaiba sternly.

Kaiba quickly turned his head in her direction with a protective look on his face,"Don't EVER insult my workers. They are perfectly qualified for their positions."

"Uh huh, and where in those positions does it include taking care of someone who has a severe sickness? Hmm?" Kin countered, raising an eyebrow,"Cleaning is not a difficult task and can be accomplished by even the most unqualified person."

Seto rolled his stunningly blue eyes,"You should know better than to challenge a Kaiba. It clearly states in line 256 of paragraph 7 under the requirements of responsabilty, that all of my employees that work at my home must have training in first aid and the medicinal properties. I figured that Mokuba might need someone for whenever he catches a cold."

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More to come soon enough!


End file.
